If the Giants were going to end their long and emotionally taxing two-month losing streak, Sunday at MetLife Stadium seemed to be an opportune time.
They were facing the New Orleans Saints, which similarly has been a team in flux this season, and were 2-8 over their previous 10 games. The Giants entered the match up 2-10 and winless since an Oct. 6, Week 5, 29-20 road victory over the formidable Seattle Seahawks, which now lead the NFC West division at 8-5. As has been the storyline for too many games in their seemingly endless period of futility, though, the Giants’ failed execution at a critical moment undermined a potential victory.
Kicker Graham Gano’s field goal attempt with 11 seconds remaining in regulation time was blocked by Saints defensive tackle Bryan Bresee. Instead of the game likely going into overtime, the 2-11 Giants suffered a painful 14-11 loss — their eighth straight.
New York has yet to win a game at home this season, where they fell to 0-7. The Giants are 0-3 since benching and releasing their former starting quarterback, Daniel Jones, last month during their Week 11 bye-week.
Head coach Brian Daboll has no prescription or antidote to cure and counter a losing virus that has become poisonous.
“I’ve been part of some losing streaks like this and some winning streaks. I think you are part of a lot of different things when you do it for as long as I have,” said the 49-year-old Daboll on Monday in speaking with the media. Daboll is in his third season as the Giants’ head coach. He began his coaching career in 1997 as a volunteer assistant at William & Mary.
“I’ve been part of a few of them where we started out and had a fair amount of losses, (but) finished strong,” Daboll said. “Again, every season’s different, every game’s different. It was ebbs and flows to yesterday’s game. We had some opportunities there, I’d say, in all three phases. We had 13 points basically, and then we didn’t have them, or we got blocked … There (are) plays every game, every season. Got to figure out a way to make those.”
Football is inherently a physically and mentally taxing sport. Losing compounds and amplifies the toll. The Giants players have taken a process- driven approach to remain hopeful that they would course-correct, but with just four games left, beginning this Sunday versus the irrepressible two-time and reigning NFL MVP Lamar Jackson and the 8-5 Baltimore Ravens, who are coming off of their bye-week, their desire and purpose will be intensively stress-tested.
“I think if you just watch the way our team played on Sunday, our play is indicative of how guys feel and the effort the guys are giving, especially on defense,” said wide receiver Darius Slayton on Monday. “I think our play on Sunday speaks to where guys’ minds are at in the locker room and the status of our team as a whole. That goes for the offensive side as well, as far as an effort standpoint goes. We just have to execute better on that side of the ball.”